Shaker Simplicity

Along with a slight physical reconfiguration, the new-and-improved Village Harvest Café, on the grounds of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, now has chef Michael Roller to its credit. Formerly of Blantyre in Lenox, Massachusetts, and currently the owner of Samel’s Deli & Catering in Pittsfield, Roller came aboard at the beginning of 2009, focusing on contemporary interpretations of rustic Shaker fare and taking advantage of fresh produce grown on-site as well as ingredients harvested from other local sources.

“We started to take a look at what’s growing in the garden and made up products with ingredients that were around,” says Roller of crafting a menu around the property’s ever-changing harvest. Equinox Farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts, provides greens, for example, and Rawson Brook Farm in Monterey, Massachusetts, supplies its famed goat cheese.

This fall, hearty soups are a focus, with two selections daily, depending on “what’s in the garden,” says Roller, adding that visitors can expect to see classic autumn favorites like vegetable bisque and beet borscht. Diners can also rely on the usual selection of sandwiches, quiches, and prepared picnic items, plus coffee, tea, and other beverages, including wine and beer—a ramped up, twenty-first-century take on Shaker cooking that will warm the soul and the stomach all season long. [OCTOBER 2009]

THE GOODS

Village Harvest Café
Open 10-5
Hancock Shaker Village
Route 20
Pittsfield, Mass.
413.443.0188